Trunk.



G. F. GRUBE.

IRUNK. APPLICATION FILED SEIT. Il 1915.l

l ,217.298, Patented Feb. 27', 1917.

GEORGE r. entren, or EvANsfroN, ILLINOIS.

TRUNK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ea rer. 2v, 1917.

Application med september isi, 1.916. serial No. 120,694. p

ment supporting fixtures contained in the other section, the two sections being hinged together along a vertical line, whereby they may be swung together and locked and swung apart to expose the drawers and the garment supporting fixtures.

The present invention has been designed to n provide a convertible compartment or drawer for wardrobe trunks, that may be combined to form a single, deep drawer, and may also be converted into two separate, individual, shallower drawers. Theprincipal object of this invention is to provide a simple, practical and efficient convertible drawer for wardrobe trunks; another object is to provide a convertible drawer in which a division wall or partition between .the two drawer sections may. be held by a hat supporting member in a position where the two drawers are converted into one compartment. With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth and more particularly defined in the claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying the invention, in

' which l Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ward- )robe trunk containing a set of convertible ber 11, of the convertible drawer.

character, 5, designates a wardrobe trunk body of simple and well known construction,

comprising two sections 6, 7 hingedly securedtogether at one edge and adapted to be swung together and locked, or swung apart to expose the interior thereof.

The section 7 usually contains a number of compartments made up of superimposed drawers 8, slidably mounted on rails secured to the inner sides of the vertical walls of the trunk section, and below said drawers 8, is a convertible drawer 9, made in accord- Y All of saidv ance with the present invention. drawers have handles 10, whereby they may be readily withdrawn from the'trunk section. The convertible drawer 9, preferably, is arranged at the bottom of the trunk section 7, and slides upon the lower end thereof, although this arrangement is not necessary or essential tothe broad idea of the present invention.

The convertible drawer 9, comprises a substantially rectangular', boX-like compartment member 11, having a front wall 12, a back wall 12, ends 13 and a bottom 14; said compartment member being preferably open p at Vits upper end. 4Conveniently said compartment member 11, ishigh enough to hold a wide brimmed ladys hat when placed vertically therein-that is, it is about twice as high as the ordinary drawers. The front wall 12 of the compartment member 11, is formed with a rectangular Vopening at its lowerend, through which slides a drawer l5, having a front wall 16, back wall 17, end walls 18 and a bottom 19; said lower drawer 15, preferably rest-s upon and slides upon the bottom 14. of the main compartment mem- When' the drawer 15 is pushed into the main compartment member, it occupies practically the lower half thereof, and, with the remainder lower, and to form la false bottom for the upper portion of said member when the device is converted into a double drawer, and said partition is also capable of being swung into a vertical position contiguous with the back wall 12a, of said main compartment member 11. Conveniently, crosswise eX- tending strips 23, are secured tothe inner aces of the end walls of said main compartment member 11, along horizontal lines immediately abovethe upper edge of the bottom drawer 15, anc. said strips serve to support said partition 2O when it is swung down into horizontal position for converting the structure into two separate, independent compartments. The lower drawer 15, may have a strip 2e, secured to the inner ace of its front wall 16, at its upper edge, to support the front edge oi said partition 20, when it is swung down upon the strips 23. A latch or fastener 25, is pivotally secured to the inner face of the Ytront wall 12, of the main compartment member 11, and is adapted to be turned down upon the partition 20, as shown in Fig. 3, to prevent it from being swung upward, except when released from the latch 25. A notch 26, is formed in the free edge of the partition @Oto permit the partition to swing by the latch 25, whenever said latch is turned up into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. f

A hat holding member 27, is provided for holding ladies hats, and in accordance with the common practice, said hat holding member may comprise a rigid base portion 28, to which is secured a round or ball like covering 29, stuffed with cotton, telt, curled hair or like elastic material, through which a hatpin may be thrust to secure a hat upon the holder. A threaded stud 30, is secured to the base portion 28, and is arranged to be screwed into a plate 31, having a threaded opening therein for receiving the threaded stud 30. Said plate 31, is rigidly secured to the inner tace of the back wall 12a, of the main compartment member 11, at a place above the portion occupied by the lower` compartment or drawer 15, and an opening 32, is formed in the partition 20, which opening is so located as to register with the plate 31, whenever the partition is swung into its upright position', whereby said plate 3l, may protrude Vthrough the opening 32 in the partition.

The hat holding member 27, is secured to the plate 31, after the partition has been raised, and the base member 2S, of said hat holding member is of greater diameter than the plate 31, or opening 32, so that it bears against the adjacent part of the partition Q0, thereby securing said partition in its ver-- tical position. v

In use, the partition may be placed in a vertical position to convert the device into a single compartment of considerable depth and conveniently adapted for receivingand holding in place ladies wide brimmed hats or other articles too large to be contained within a single, smaller compartment. To obtain access to the large, single compartment the upper .handle 10, of the main drawer section 11, is taken hold of and the entire device is moved forward or withdrawn from the trunk section 7. To convert the device from a single, deep drawer or compartment into two separate compartments, the hat holding member 27, is first detached from the holding plate 31, then partition 20, is swung down upon the strips 23 and clamped down thereon by the latch or fastening member 25, thus separating the upper portion oi the main compartment member 11, from the lower portion thereof, and providing a compartment above the partition 20, separate and distinct from the one contained in t-he drawer 15 located therebelow. When the device is contained in the section 7,7o7t the wardrobe trunk, access may be had to the lower compartment drawer 15, by drawing it out through the opening in the lower end of the main compartment meniber 11. To obtain access to the upper conipartment the entire structure-is drawn out by taking hold of the upper handle or' the member 11.

From the above description it will be readily apparent that each of the compartment forming drawers forming the subject matter of this invention, is adapted to be used independently of the other, and in such manner that each forms a separate compartment, and that both may be combined into one deep compartment. Furthermore, that the hat holding member serves the purpose of holding the partition 20, in its upright position, besides Jorming a means for holding hats in the compartment.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a trunk, a convertible compartment drawer arranged to be moved into and out ot one section of the trunk, said compartment dra-wer comprising a main rectangular boxlike member open at the top and having rectangular opening in its front wall at the lower end thereof, a movable partition insaid member, adapted to be supported therein to form a 'false bottom therefor above said opening in the iront wall, and a drawer supported at the bottom of said box-like portion and movable in and out through said opening, said partition being capable oi being moved to a vertical position, to provide a single, deep compartment.

2. In a trunk, a convertible compartment drawer arranged to be moved into and out of one trunk section, said compartment drawer comprising a main rectangular boxlike member, open at the top and at the front near its lower end, a partition in said member, movable from a vertical position to a horizontal position, dividing the mainl compartment member into two parts, and

a drawer movable into said member through said opening near the bottom of the front wall, and forming with said member, when the partition is in horizontal position, two separate compartments, and when said partition is in vertical position, forming with said member a single, deep compartment.

3. In a trunk, a convertible compartment drawer, movable into and out of said trunk and comprising a main box-like portion, open at the top 'and having an opening in its front wall at the bottom thereof, a partition hingedly secured in said main portion and capable of being swung from an upright position to a horizontal position dividing said main portion into two independent sections, and forming a false bottom for one section, means for securing said partition in its upright position, and a drawer slidably supported below said partition and movable in and out through said opening in the lower end of the front wall.

4. In a trunk, a convertible compartment drawer slidable into and out of said trunk, and comprising a main rectangular box-like member open at the top and having an opening in its front wall at the bottom thereof, a partition hingedly secured in said member and capable of being moved from a vertical position to a horizontal position dividing said member into two parts, and Jforming a false bottom for said member, means for securing said partition in its vertical and horizontal positions and a drawer slidable through said opening at the lower end of said front wall of the main member.

5. In a trunk, a compartment drawer slidable into and out of said trunk and comprising a main box-likecompartment member open at the top and having a rectangular opening in its front wall at the bottom thereof, a partition hingedly secured in said member above said opening in its front wall, and being capable of extending across the member to provide a -alse bottom above said opening in the front wall, and capable lof extending in an upright position within said compartment member, a securing plate fastened to the upright wall of said member to which said partition is hinged, a coacting securing member having a part adapted to extend through a hole in said partition and connectively engage said securing plate to thereby hold the partition in an upright position, and a drawer slidably contained in the lower part of said box-like member and movable through said opening in the lower wall thereof.

6. In a trunk, a compartment drawer slidabie into and `out of said trunk and comprising a main box-like compartment member Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, b'y addressing Washington, D; Gi

open at the top and having a rectangular opening in its front wall at the bottom thereof, a partition hingedly secured in said member above said opening in its Jfront wall, and being capable of extending across the member to provide. a false bottom above said opening in the front wall, and capable of extending in an upright position within said compartment member, a securing plate fastened to the upright wall o said member to which said partition is hinged, a hat holding member having a coacting securing member adapted to extend through a hole in said partition and connectively engage said securing plate to thereby'hold said partition in upright position, and a drawer slidably supported on the bottom of said rst named compartment member and movable in and out through said opening in the lower' end of said member.

7. In a trunk, a compartment drawer slidable into and out of said trunk and comprising a main box-like compartment member open at the top and having a rectangular opening in its front wall at the bottom thereof, a partition hingedly secured' in said member above said opening in its front wall, and being capable of extending across the member to provide a false bottom above said opening in the front wall, and capable of extending in an upright position within said compartment member, a securing plate-fastened to the upright wall of said member to which said partition is hinged, a coacting securing member having a part capable of extending through a hole in said partition and connectively engaging said lirst mentioned securing member to thereby hold said partition in upright position, a latch secured to a wall of said compartment member and adapted to engage said partition when in horizontal position to thereby hold it down, and a drawer sliding in said compartment member through said opening in its wall.

8. A convertible compartment drawer for trunks, comprising a main box-like compartment member open at the top and having an opening in its front wall at the bottom thereof, crosswise extending strips secured to the end walls of said member above the opening in its front wall, a partition hingedly secured to the rear wall and capable of resting on said strips to form a false bottom for the upper part of said member, securing means for holding said partition in upright and horizontal positions, and a drawer supported upon the bottom of said compartment member and movable through the opening in the front wall of said member, said member, drawer and partition combining together to form a single deep compartment or a double compartment.

. GEORGE F. GRUBE. 

